Multiple section paperboard container



April 3, 1962 J. E. BUMBY MULTIPLE SECTION PAPERBOARD CONTAINER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1960 INVENTOR JO E BQMBY April 3, 1962 J.E. BUMBY MULTIPLE SECTION PAPERBOARD CONTAINER Filed Sept. 28, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN E. fiumav 3,028,066 MULTIPLE SECTIONPAPERBOARD CONTAINER John E. Bnmby, Ripon, Wis, assignor to Ripon Foods,Inc, Ripon, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 28, 1960, Ser.No. 58,956 8 Claims. (Cl. 22916) This invention relates to a multiplesection paperboard container, particularly adapted to convert a cart,such as is used in supermarkets, for display purposes, to enlarge itscapacity, improve its appearance and facilitate access thereto.

While containers embodying the invention are not limited for use withsupermarket carts, such containers are particularly adapted for use inconjunction therewith. Supermarket operators have made increasing use ofsuch carts for aisle display purposes. The conventional supermarketcart, however, usually has insufficient capacity to display adequatequantities of bulky items. Moreover, the wire baskets or frames ofconventional carts are not sufficiently attractive to meet moderndisplay standards.

Containers embodying the present invention will enlarge the capacity ofthe conventional supermarket cart, facilitate access to its contents,and improve the appearance of the display by providing a moresubstantial-looking container.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a containerconsisting of multiple paperboard sections which will interlock whenassembled together. One section fits into the wire basket of the cart toreceive support therefrom and other sections flare upwardly andoutwardly over the top rim of the cart. The resultant compositecontainer has relatively great capacity with minimum requirements forpaperboard stock.

But for the multiple piece construction of the present invention, itwould be very difficult to economically produce a paperboard containerhaving hopper-like upwardly flaring side walls. The present inventionutilizes multiple blanks of paperboard material, each shaped to use theminimum of material. When assembled accord ing to the present invention,however, a large capacity container achieving the objects of theinvention results.

Moreover, the present invention provides for finished surfaces on allparts of the container which are normally visible. The inside surfacesof the base section and the inside surfaces of the hopper section areleft unfinished. The outside surfaces only of the sections are finished.However, the hopper section is so folded with respect to the basesection that the finished surfaces of the hopper section overlap andcover the raw surfaces of the base section, thus to produce anattractive hopper-like container at minimum cost.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear fromthe follow-ing disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a supermarket cart and containerembodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container only, the hopper sectionof the container being shown in the course of folding its flaps aboutthe flaps and walls of the base section.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the base section only, the outline ofthe completely folded hopper section being shown in broken lines.

FIG. 6 is a developed plan of a blank from which one half of the hoppersection is fabricated.

FIG. 7 is a developed plan of a blank from which the base section isfabricated.

A conventional supermarket cart is shown at 10 in item ice I FIG. 1 andcomprises a wire basket or frame 11 which is sometimes used by thesupermarket operator for aisle storage and display.

According to the present invention, the capacity of the frame 11 isincreased and the attractiveness of the display is enhanced by a displayinsert for the frame consisting of a base section made from the blank 12shown in FIG. 7 and a hopper section made from two of the blanks 13shown in FIG. 6. Base section blank 12 has corresponding side panels 14,an end panel 15 between side panels 14 and two terminal panel 16 whichare overlapped as shown in FIG. 5 to form an end panel opposite endpanel 15. Overlapping margins of flaps 16 are interconnected by staples17 or the like when the respective panels 14, 15, 16 are folded on thefold lines 18, 19.

Panels 14 are provided with upper flaps 23 along their top edges on thefold lines 22. End panel 15 is provided with an upper flap 24 along foldline 25. The terminal panels 16 extend upwardly to the level of the freeedges of the flaps 23, 24 and do not have bendable flaps.

The panels 14, 15 normally have a width slightly in excess of the heightof the basket or frame 11 of the supermarket cart 10. The flaps 23, 24in the erected position of the base section 12 will flare outwardly overthe top rim 20 of the frame 10, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The bottom of the container is left unpaneled, inasmuch as materialwithin the cart 10 will be supported on the wire floor 26 thereof.

The hopper section, which is ultimately interlocked with the basesection is made from allochiral blanks, typified by blank 13 shown inFIG. 6. Each blank comprises an outside panel 27, an inside panel 28connected to panel 27 on fold line 29 and a terminal flap 32 connectedto panel 28 on fold line 33. To the ends of outside panel 27 end panels34 and 35 are connected on fold lines 36, 37. End panel 34 has anintermediate panel portion 38 foldably connected thereto on fold line 42and a terminal flap 39 foldably connected to panel 38 on fold line 43.Panel 35 is foldably connected on fold line 44 with a terminal flap 45.

Two such blanks 13 are connected in allochiral relationship.Corresponding margins of the respective panels 35 and flaps 45 areconnected by staples 46 (FIG. 4). Corresponding margins of the panels34, 38 and flaps 39 are connected by staples 47. The respective panels27, 34, 35 of each allochiral section 13 are trapezoidal in shape so asto fix the panels 27, 34, 35 in outwardly and upwardly flared position,when the hopper section is erected, as shown in the drawings.

The perimeter of the bottom edge of the erected hopper section isslightly larger than the perimeter of the upper edges of the panels 14,15, 16 of the base section. Accordingly, when the base section iserected to its position shown in FIG. 5, the hopper section can betelescopically assembled over the base section as the first step of theassembly of the display insert container. The position of the parts atthis stage of the assembly is shown at FIG. 4.

The next step in the assembly of the display insert container andinterlock of the various flaps thereof is to fold over the flaps 28, 32of the hopper section on fold line 29 in the direction of the arrow 48,as shown in FIG. 4, thus to fold intermediate panel 28 against terminalfl-ap 23 of the base container which intervenes between panels 27, 28,as is shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing. Terminal flap 32 of the hoppersection is further folded on its fold line 33 against the inner face ofthe upper margin of side panels 14 of the base section, as is also shownin FIG. 3.

With both sides of the hopper section folded in as aforesaid, the endpanels 38 and flaps 39 of the hopper sections are now folded on foldline 43 in the direction of arrows 40 to their position shown in FIG. 2so that flaps 34 and 38 embrace intervening terminal flap 24 on basesection end panel 15. Terminal flap 39 on the hopper section is furtherfolded on its fold line 43 against the inner face of the upper margin ofbase section end panel 15.

The last step in the assembly process is to fold downwardly flaps 45 inthe direction of arrow 51 in FIG. 4 and about fold line 44 to embraceand lie flat against the flaps 16 of the base section of the container.The parts are so dimensioned that the edges of all the inturned flapsWill frictionally engage opposed portions within the base container tofrictionally retain the flaps, panels, etc. in assembled relation.

Because of the complementary upward and outward flare of flaps 23, 24 ofthe base section with corresponding flared panels of the hopper section,the base and hopper sections of the assembled display insert will beinterlocked against vertical separation. It is not possible to separatethe assembled sections unless the paperboard material thereof is torn ordistorted, or the various flaps and panels unfolded in the reverse orderof the folding steps aforesaid.

The inside surfaces of both hopper and base sections may be left raw orunfinished. The outside surfaces thereof are desirably finished with anattractive surface. Accordingly, when the various panels and flaps ofthe hopper section are folded inwardly as aforesaid, they will covermost of the raw surfaces of the base section, leaving only finishedsurfaces of the insert exposed to view. The only uncovered raw surfacesof the display insert will be the lowermost inside marginal portions ofthe base section, which will normally be concealed from view bycontainer contents. Accordingly, all the visible exposed surfaces of thepaperboard display insert co-ntainer will be finished to present anattractive appearance to the customer.

Because the sections 13 of the hopper section are allochiral, two suchblanks which are finished on opposite sides are used to make up onecomposite hopper section.

The wire frame 11 of supermarket cart will hold the base section erectedWhile the panels and flaps of the hopper section of the container arebeing folded thereabout, and will help hold the inter-locked sections inerected position, although the interlocked'base and hopper sections willstand unsupported if desired.

The area bounded by the upper edges of the display insert is materiallygreater than the area bounded by the rim 2d of the wire basket of thecart. In practice, the area bounded by the display rim is about doublethe area finished surfaces facing the outside of said container,

finished surfaces of said hop-per section being folded over said upperflaps of the base section and extending downwardly beyond said upperflaps into the base section to cover raw inside surfaces of the basesection.

4. The device of claim 1 in combination with an external frame about thebase section of the container.

5. The container of claim 1 in which the downwardly and inwardly flaredportions of the hopper section are complementary with the upper flaps ofthe base section, said hopper section having terminal portionstherebeyond which extend into said container and along the sides of thebase section.

6. A multiple part paperboard container comprising the combination of abase section having upwardly exposed margins and an upper sectioncomprising interconnected allochiral parts in telescopic relation withthe margins of the base section and interlocked therewith, the uppermargins of the base section flaring outwardly and upwardly, portions ofthe upper section interlocked there-.

with flaring downwardly and inwardly.

7. The container of claim 6 in which portions of the upper section arefolded over portions of the base section to interlock therewith.

8. The container of claim 7 in which each allochira-l part has afinished surface exposed to view when such portions of the upper sectionare folded over portions of the base section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,677,654 Pitts July 17, 1928 1,982,952 Flinn Dec. 4, 1934 2,237,126Weinnian Apr. 1, 1941 2,237,706 Islieb Apr. 8, 1941

